Lee (The Landon Saga Book 6)

by Tell Cotten

  Jessica was in her early twenties. She had a good figure, long blond hair, and light blue eyes. And, as I soon found out, she also had a feisty and persuasive personality.

  I’ll admit that I’ve always been fond of Jessica. But, I’ve never allowed myself to think that anything could ever happen. She’s a lady, and I’m an outlaw and a killer. And, I also have suspicions that she’s interested in Yancy.

  I knew Cliff Curtis from my days with Kinrich. And, even though I disapproved of the situation, I didn’t figure it was any of my business.

  But that all changed when Jessica offered to pay me a huge sum of money to rescue her. I reckon she was desperate, because she also hired Brian Clark.

  I won’t go into all the details, but the short version is that we rescued Jessica but lost the money.

  Jessica wanted her money back, and she offered Brian and me a share of it if we could find it. Course, I had thoughts of keeping it all for myself, but I just couldn’t do it. Brian couldn’t do it either, and when we found the carpetbag we rode all the way to Midway and gave it to Jessica.

  It was the first honest thing either one of us had done in quite a while. It was a good feeling, and it was while we were feeling honorable that Jessica sprang a trap on us that would change our lives.

  We met Jessica in her hotel room. I handed her the carpetbag, and my heart melted a bit when she smiled at us.

  “There’s a lot of money here,” she said as she held the carpetbag.

  “Sure is,” we agreed.

  “What do you plan on doing with your share?”

  We were silent as we tried to think up a good lie, but I finally smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

  “We’ll probably whoop it up a little,” I admitted. “Do you want me to explain it more than that?”

  “No, that explains it well enough,” Jessica frowned disapprovingly.

  Brian and I were ashamed, and we suddenly became very interested in the floor.

  Jessica waited a moment, and then she unleashed her plan.

  “My father was a shrewd business man,” she said. “And, so am I.”

  “I would agree with that,” I said.

  “He taught me a lot about business affairs,” Jessica continued. “But, I am a woman in a man’s world. I need help.”

  “What do you have in mind?” I asked.

  “I want the three of us to invest this money into a hotel,” Jessica declared. “And I mean a very fancy hotel, with a restaurant and a poker room. A hotel that will make us all a lot of money.”

  “A hotel?” I asked, surprised.

  “I want to build the fanciest hotel Texas has ever seen,” Jessica continued. “I want it to be an elegant and respectable business. Nothing shady or dishonest.”

  “No saloon girls?” I smiled.

  “That is correct,” Jessica declared.

  “What would you want us to do?” Brian spoke up.

  “I want you two to operate the hotel,” Jessica explained. “I would be the majority owner with sixty percent. You two would receive twenty percent each, and you’d also receive a monthly salary.”

  “I don’t know a thing about the hotel business,” I objected.

  “I’ve heard you are a very good poker player,” Jessica said.

  “You heard right,” I smiled.

  “You would run the poker room, and Brian would operate the hotel and restaurant.”

  Jessica glanced at Brian.

  “Didn’t you once run your own hotel in El Paso?”

  “I did,” he nodded, and added, “But it wasn’t elegant.”

  “I’m sure you could do it,” Jessica replied.

  “What would you do?” I wanted to know.

  “I would remain a silent partner,” Jessica announced. “I don’t want anyone, including my Uncle, to know I am involved.”

  Brian glanced at me, and it was silent as we thought on that.

  “So, what do you think?” Jessica asked. “This is your chance to quit the outlaw business and make an honest living.”

  “Playing poker everyday doesn’t sound too bad,” I said. “I’m in if Brian’s in.”

  Jessica looked at him.

  “Brian?”

  “I ain’t getting any younger,” he admitted. “And, the outlaw business just ain’t what it used to be. It’d be nice to sleep under a roof every night. So, I’m in.”

  Jessica smiled, and she walked forward and shook our hands.

  “Partners it is then,” she said.

  “Yes, ma’am,” I smiled.

  “One last thing,” she said. “I don’t want this hotel to be here in Midway. I have-,” she paused and smiled, “-other interests here, and I don’t want this hotel to get in the way of that.”

  “What other interests?” I asked.

  “That’s for me to know,” she replied.

  “I think I could guess,” I said, and I forced a smile as Yancy came to mind.

  “So, that means we need to choose another location,” Jessica said as she ignored my comment.

  It was silent as we thought on that, and then I snapped my fingers.

  “I know the perfect town,” I announced.

  “Where?” Jessica asked anxiously.

  “It’s a cow town that should bring in plenty of money on paydays,” I explained. “Place called Empty-lake.”

  “That’s where Rondo is from,” Jessica recalled.

  “Yes,” my eyes twinkled, “it sure is.”

  ***

  So that’s pretty much my life story, give or take a few killings I might have forgot to mention.

  After our talk with Jessica, Brian Clark and I took her money and headed south. We bought land in Empty-lake and hired a construction crew, and it took us three months to build the hotel.

  It was now two days before our grand opening. And, just as Jessica had wanted, our hotel was the fanciest in Texas.

  We had a wedding to go to tomorrow, and then I planned on spending the rest of the day polishing up on my poker skills. I hadn’t had much time to play poker these past few months, and I was determined to make a profit on the first night.

  As I’ve looked back on my life, I can clearly see the different forks in the road that I’ve come across. And, I’ll admit that most of the time, I’ve gone in the wrong direction.

  However, I felt like I was finally on the right trail. And this time, I was going to do everything honest. Or, at least as honest as possible.

  Chapter one

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife in the presence of God and these assembled witnesses,” the preacher said.

  Loud applause passed through the crowd, and Rondo Landon’s face turned slightly red. But then Rachel’s eyes twinkled at him, and Rondo’s confidence returned.

  I sat in the back of the church beside Brian Clark. My arms were crossed, and I was deep in thought. This was Rondo’s day, but I still couldn’t help but imagine myself up there.

  It was a startling thought. And, I suddenly realized that it was also an intriguing thought.

  Brian glanced at me and noticed my frown.

  “What’s the matter?” He whispered.

  “Nothing,” I said quickly.

  “Can you believe this?” Brian chuckled. “Who would have thought this possible a few years ago?”

  I nodded.

  “Rondo’s come a long way.”

  “Poor fellow doesn’t know what he just signed up for.”

  I managed to smile and nod, but my thoughts drifted to Jessica. I wondered where she was, and what she was doing. I also wondered if she ever thought of me.

  I had never thought of marriage much, mainly because a man in my line of work couldn’t settle down. However, considering the recent changes in my life, marriage was now a possibility I could consider.

  Noise interrupted my thoughts, and I noticed that everyone was standing. Rondo and Rachel stood in the front, and a line was forming to congratulate them.

  Brian and I stayed in the back.
The line finally thinned, and Rondo walked over to us.

  Like Yancy, Rondo was smaller than most and had a hard, lean body. And, even though it was his wedding day, he still displayed his ivory handled Colt on his hip, and he also wore his sheriff’s badge.

  “Congratulations, Button,” I smiled.

  “I haven’t been called that in a while,” Rondo smiled back.

  “I reckon that nickname doesn’t fit much anymore,” I figured.

  “I reckon not.”

  “Still, I like to use it every now and then,” I said, and my eyes twinkled.

  “I’ve noticed that.”

  I gestured at Rachel, who was across the room.

  “Does she ever call you that?”

  “No,” Rondo smiled sheepishly. “She doesn’t even know about it.”

  “I could talk to her,” I offered.

  “Let’s not,” Rondo said, and we both chuckled.

  It was silent for a moment, and then I cleared my throat.

  “You’ve married a beautiful woman, Rondo.”

  “I know.”

  “After all you’ve been through these past years, you deserve this,” I said, and Brian nodded.

  “I appreciate you saying that.”

  “You’ve lived quite a life,” I recalled.

  Rondo shook his head as he watched Rachel walking towards us.

  “No, my life’s just beginning,” he declared.

  Chapter two

  I didn’t stay at the church long. Soon as I could, I grabbed my hat and slipped out.

  I smiled as I walked down the street towards our hotel. It was the tallest building in town, and it could be seen from all directions.

  There was a porch that lined the front. The paint was fresh and had a shiny look, and there were more windows than I could count. There was also a huge sign that read ‘The Palace Hotel’.

  I stepped up onto the porch and unlocked the doors. It was a corner entrance, and there were heavy oak doors on the outside. The oak doors could be opened back in good weather, and there was another set of swinging doors just past them.

  I walked through the batwing doors, stopped, and took in the view.

  The hotel had two stories. The hotel rooms were upstairs, and there was a balcony that circled three sides of the hotel. All of the rooms upstairs opened up from the balcony.

  The restaurant and poker room were downstairs.

  Along the length of one wall was an elaborate mahogany bar with a huge, fancy mirror behind it. Bottles and glasses were stacked behind the bar in decorative pyramids.

  I was very proud of that mirror. It had come all the way from Dallas, and it was rumored to be the biggest mirror in Texas. It was heavy too. I knew from experience, because I helped carry the thing in.

  Along the other wall were a few gaming tables, and behind that was the poker room. In the middle of the room were some tables and chairs, and there was also a fancy chandelier hanging from the ceiling that, when lit, would light up the entire room.

  Against the back wall was a fancy spiral staircase that split in two directions. There was a door underneath the stairs that led to the office.

  The floors were polished, the mirror gleamed, the glassware sparkled, and the bar shined. It made me proud, and it also gave me a strong feeling of accomplishment.

  I grabbed a couple of cigars from the bar, and then I walked to the poker room and sat at a table. I lit my cigar, grabbed a deck of cards, and shuffled. I handled them a bit, and then I dealt myself a hand.

  A half an hour later, I was still handling those cards when I heard a noise. I looked up and spotted Rondo standing inside the doorway.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “You left, and I wanted to say goodbye,” Rondo explained.

  “You going somewhere?”

  “We’re headed to San Antonio. We’ll be back in a few weeks.”

  “Taking a honeymoon?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Want me to come along?”

  “I do not,” Rondo smiled, and we both chuckled.

  “You’ll miss our grand opening tomorrow night,” I tried to look hurt.

  “I’m sure things will be fine.”

  “What if we have trouble?”

  “Ross will be here. I’m sure you, Brian, and Ross can handle anything that comes up.”

  “I reckon we can,” I smiled.

  Rondo nodded as he looked around.

  “First time I’ve seen the inside,” he commented.

  “What do you think?”

  “You’ve done yourself proud, Lee.”

  “I’m satisfied with the results,” I agreed.

  “You should be,” Rondo said, and asked, “Why’d you put the entrance in the corner?”

  “It’s hard to leave when you can’t find the door,” I explained.

  Rondo smiled and shook his head.

  “I reckon you have a point,” he chuckled, and added, “I understand now why you named it The Palace Hotel. It sure is mighty fancy.”

  “It’s what Jessica wanted.”

  “Jessica? She’s your silent partner?” Rondo looked surprised.

  I scowled, and muttered, “You weren’t supposed to know that.”

  “I won’t say anything,” Rondo reassured, and asked, “Does Yancy know?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  “Be interesting if he found out.”

  “Could be,” I agreed.

  Rondo smiled. It was silent for a moment, and then he turned towards the door.

  “Well, Rachel’s waiting.”

  “Have a good trip, Rondo.”

  “I plan to.”

  He paused at the door and looked back at me. I smiled, and then he was gone.

  Chapter three

  Brian Clark and I shared a room upstairs in the hotel. It was a corner room, and we had a good view of the town from our window.

  We were up early the next morning, and after breakfast I went outside while Brian had a meeting with our hotel employees.

  I was glad Brian was handling that part of the hotel. For some reason all the employees were timid around me, and they seemed more comfortable around Brian.

  I strolled down the street and spotted Ross Stewart sitting on the porch at the sheriff’s office. He was drinking coffee while he studied a chessboard.

  Ross had a tall and lanky frame, with tanned skin and brown hair. When he spoke he always displayed a rich, Texan drawl.

  Ross was Rondo’s deputy.

  They had met when Rondo went to work for Mr. Tomlin. At the time, they were both fond of Rachel. But Rachel chose Rondo, and that was that. A lot of friendships might have ended, but they were able to overcome it, and they were still close friends.

  In some ways, Ross reminded me of Yancy. He was extremely honest, and he was always curious about this or that.

  We got along all right, but I had suspicions that deep down, Ross was wary of me.

  “Morning, Ross,” I said as I walked up.

  Ross looked up from his chessboard and spotted me.

  “Lee,” he nodded.

  “Who’s winning?” I smiled and gestured at the game.

  “I’m just studying up for when Rondo gets back,” Ross explained. “I taught him the game a while back, and now I can’t seem to beat him anymore.”

  “The pupil has gotten better than the teacher?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Rondo does that sometimes,” I said, and I smiled as Ben Kinrich came to mind.

  Ross grunted and gestured at the coffee pot.

  “Coffee?”

  “Thanks,” I nodded.

  I grabbed a cup, poured myself some coffee, and sat next to Ross.

  “Do you play?” Ross motioned at the chessboard.

  “No, I’m a poker player.”

  “So is Rondo,” Ross said, and added sourly, “Now, he beats me at both.”

  I chuckled, and it was silent while we drank our co
ffee.

  “Are you ready for the grand opening?” Ross asked after a while.

  “I think so.”

  “Think there’ll be trouble?”

  “I doubt it.”

  “What if Ike’s men show up?”

  That was a sobering thought, and I frowned thoughtfully.

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” I admitted.

  “I’ll be ready if you need me,” Ross declared.

  Ross wasn’t near as good with a Colt as Rondo or me, but I appreciated the gesture.

  “Thanks,” I said, and Ross nodded.

  After that it was silent, and my thoughts drifted to Ike Nash.

  Ike was a businessman. All he cared about was how to make a profit, and he was very shrewd and cunning. He had been deeply involved with Governor Davis’s schemes, but he had the good sense to get out before it caved on him.

  Since then, he’d been running things on his own. All across Texas he had created his own little empire, and he was involved in several businesses.

  Everything he did was illegal, including trading rifles to the Indians. However, Ike had it set up so that nothing could be traced back to him.

  Ike was the reason Rondo was sheriff. He owned a nearby ranch, and his men kept coming to town and stirring up trouble on paydays. At the time there was no law, so the town council hired Rondo.

  Not long after that, Ike’s son Tanner killed Jeremiah Batch. Rondo arrested him and sent for Judge Parker. But, before Judge Parker arrived, Tanner escaped with the help of Virgil Carson and Lucy Wells. Rondo hired me as a special deputy, and we took out after them.

  It didn’t take us long to catch them. Virgil and Tanner were killed, and Lucy was now a guest at Huntsville prison. She swore she’d get revenge, but we were more worried about how Ike would react. However, we hadn’t seen much of Ike or his men, so all was well for now.

  Personally, I thought Ike was scared of us. However, I’d been wrong before, and I knew that we’d better be ready, just in case.

  I finished my coffee with a gulp. I stood, set my cup down, and looked at Ross.

  “Thanks for the coffee.”

  “Anytime,” Ross said.